The present invention relates generally to vehicle closures and more particularly to a damper for a vehicle closure.
Often, vehicle closures that pivot vertically have some type of assist mechanism to help an operator raise the closure. For example, a vehicle may have a trunk with a deck lid that pivots upward to provide access to the trunk. Gooseneck or single pivot type hinge systems may support the deck lid and may employ extension springs, torque rods, torsion springs or other types of spring mechanisms to assist in raising the deck lid to its full open position. The springs are sized to overcome the mass of the closure and friction, so a substantial amount of energy must be dissipated when the closure reaches the full up position. Rubber bumpers have been employed to account for this energy, but generally do not absorb the energy without causing a rebound, thus causing the closure to bounce. This bounce can result in poor perceived quality for the closure. Another solution is to employ hydraulic struts that control the rate of movement, but they may be too expensive for some applications and may take up more packaging space than is desirable.